Archive News May 23, 2001

Popular '80s Bay Area metal band DEATH ANGEL will reunite for a one-off performance at the Thrash Of The Titans benefit concert for TESTAMENT vocalist Chuck Billy, who was recently diagnosed with cancer. As previously reported, Thrash Of The Titans will be taking place on Saturday, August 11th at San Francisco's Maritime Hall, and it will include performances from EXODUS, LEGACY (pre-TESTAMENT),S.O.D., HEATHEN, and VIO-LENCE, among others.

MACHINE HEAD have decided against using producer Mudrock (i.e. GODSMACK, POWERMAN 5000, CHIMAIRA) to mix their much-anticipated Supercharger effort and are currently considering other options. Rumors that the group is contemplating a return to Burn My Eyes/The More Things Change… producer Colin Richardson for the upcoming session have not been officially confirmed. In the meantime, MACHINE HEAD have chosen acclaimed artist Paul Brown (MARILYN MANSON, FRANK SINATRA, POISON) to handle the art and photography duties for the upcoming CD, which is tentatively scheduled for an August 21st release through Roadrunner Records.

Drummer Brooks Wackerman has reportedly rejoined SUICIDAL TENDENCIES.

BORKNAGAR mainman Oystein G. Brun will be partaking in an online chat via the group's official web site (www.borknagar.com/chat.html) on Thursday, May 24th at 7:30 PM CET (Central European Time). Other members of the group may join in as well.

CANNIBAL CORPSE will be headlining the upcoming X-Mass Fest 2001 European festival tour, which will also include performances from KREATOR, VOMITORY, MARDUK, NILE, DARK FUNERAL and KRISIUN. Here are the confirmed dates so far:

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December 11 - Osnabruck, GER @ Hyde Park

December 12 - Essen, GER @ Zeche Carl

December 13 - Offenbach, GER @ Hafenbahn

December 14 - Strasbourg, FRA @ La Laiterie

December 15 - Antwerpen, BEL @ Hof Ter Loo

December 16 - Tilburg, NETH @ 013

December 17 - Berlin, GER @ Columbia Halle

December 18 - Munchen, GER @ Metropolis

December 19 - Pratelln, SWI @ Z7

December 20 - Milan, IT @ Rainbow

December 21 - Vienna, AUS @ Arena

December 22 - Zwickau, GER @ Alarm

SLIPKNOT will reportedly make an MP3 of the track 'Heretic Song' available for download on the web beginning June 1st. The song comes off the group's forthcoming sophomore album, Iowa, which is due out on August 7th through Roadrunner Records.

SUPERFIX, the Los Angeles-based band featuring former DRAIN STH drummer Martina Axen (who handles lead vocals in the new group) and bassist Anna Kjellberg, reportedly entered the studio on Tuesday, May 22nd to begin pre-production for their forthcoming debut album, which is expected to be issued in early 2002 through an as-yet-undetermined record label. Although presently unconfirmed, reports suggest that SUPERFIX is collaborating with FEAR FACTORY producer/programmer Rhys Fulber during the current recording sessions, which are taking place in Los Angeles. However, it is not yet clear if Fulber will produce the group's upcoming CD, which will reportedly be self-financed (using the help of outside investors) and fully completed before the band even begins to shop for a record deal.

TheSTART, featuring former HUMAN WASTE PROJECT frontwoman Aimee Echo, have had the release date of their upcoming The Label/Geffen Records debut, Shakedown!, pushed back to July 24th.

JUDAS PRIEST's first single off the band's forthcoming Demolition CD will contain the new cuts 'Machine Man' and 'Subterfuge', along with the CD-enhanced version of the 'Burn In Hell' video from 1997's Jugulator release. As previously reported, the single will be issued on May 28th in continental Europe and June 11th in the UK.

LIMP BIZKIT frontman Fred Durst has posted the following statement regarding the group's recent Spanish festival cancellation over 'security and personal safety concerns':

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'Can you believe the asshole promoter in Spain made no efforts what so ever to comply with our security requirements? He could care less if someone were to get seriously injured. Ever since Big Day Out [Festival] in Australia, we have been even more protective of you guys then we already were. These promoters don't realize how emotional and passionate we are all. And when we get together and form that energy…damn, it's powerful. They just care about their bank accounts sometimes, I guess. Well, we're not having it!! I hope the message gets out to the rest of the promoters, so no more whack-ass canceling goes down. I apologize for these assholes to anyone who was a victim in Spain and didn't get to see the show!!'

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich accepted an invitation to host a shift on San Jose's KSJO 92.7 radio station this past Monday, May 21st and reportedly took the listeners through a five-hour block of some of his 'favorite' music, including selections by MEGADETH and BOW WOW (the Japanese metal band whose songs were reportedly considered for the Garage Days Re-revisited CD, but eventually abandoned after the Japanese lyrics proved to be 'too much' for James),plus Pat Boone's version of 'Enter Sandman', and various live and rare METALLICA recordings. The show reportedly started off with Lars announcing tongue-in-cheekily that he was going to play his favorite song when CREED's 'With Arms Wide Open' began, only lasting a few seconds before Lars cut the song off and stated, 'What the hell is this crap?' and jumped into the original 'So What' by the ANTI-NOWHERE LEAUGE.

TUFF guitarist Darrell Roberts has confirmed that he was in fact being considered for the W.A.S.P. guitarist slot apparently left vacant by the rumored departure of Chris Holmes, but has declined to take part 'due to other commitments that I have to fulfill', according to a posting on the Metal Sludge web site.

TOOL's third Volcano Records studio album, Lateralus, reportedly sold 550,000 copies in the US during its first week of release, and will debut at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 this week. MEGADETH's The World Needs A Hero (Sanctuary Records) sold 61,000 copies and will reportedly debut at No. 16.

A PERFECT CIRCLE bassist Paz Lenchantin will be performing with CAMERATA TANGO at the Key club in West Hollywood, California on Saturday, June 2nd, at 8 PM. Visit www.cameratatango.com for more info.

German power metallers GAMMA RAY have announced the concert dates for the European leg of the No World Order Tour 2001. The tour starts in the last week of September and will see the band playing 28 shows in twelve countries over a five-week period. Support at all shows comes from SONATA ARTICA (Finland) and VANISHING POINT (Australia). The confirmed dates are as follows:

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Sept. 27 - Zeche, Bochum, GER

Sept. 28 - Neuer Hydepark, Osnabrück, GER

Sept. 29 - Stadthalle Lichtenfels, Lichtenfels, GER

Sept. 30 - Live Music Hall, Köln, GER

Oct. 02 - Markthalle, Hamburg, GER

Oct. 03 - Neue Rockfabrik Halford, Berlin, GER

Oct. 05 - Stadthalle Langen, Langen bei Frankfurt, GER

Oct. 06 - Zeppelinhalle, Kaufbeuren, GER

Oct. 07 - Longhorn, Stuttgart, GER

Oct. 09 - Futurum, Prag, CZ

Oct. 10 - Edison Garden, Brno, CZ

Oct. 11 - Planet Music, Wien, AUS

Oct. 12 - Petöfi Hall, Budapest, HUN

Oct. 14 - Vidia, Cesena, IT

Oct. 15 - Tenax, Florence, IT

Oct. 16 - Supermarket, Turin, IT

Oct. 18 - Macumba, Madrid, SP

Oct. 19 - Razzmatazz, Barcelona, SP

Oct. 20 - Jam, Bergara, SP Oct. 21 - Club Hard, Porto, POR Oct. 23 - Barbey, Bordeaux, FRA

Oct. 24 - 2Rail Theater, Lyon, FRA

Oct. 25 - Z7, Pratteln, SWI

Oct. 26 - Elysee Montmartre, Paris, FRA

Oct. 27 - Biebob, Vosselaar, BEL

Oct. 29 - Karen, Göteborg, SWE

Oct. 30 - Klubben, Stockholm, SWE

Nov. 01 - Nosturi, Helsinki, FIN

DEEP PURPLE's appearance at the Italian Pavarotti And Friends show (as previously reported) will reportedly be broadcast via the Italian channel RAI 1 at 8:40 PM on May 29th.

DEF LEPPARD's VH-1 bio-pic Hysteria: The Def Leppard Movie will reportedly have its premiere on the music channel in the US on July 18th, two days after the scheduled completion of the production.

Russian-Israeli sludgecore trio RABIES CASTE have just completed work on their debut album (the group's second overall) for Earache Records, entitled Let The Soul Out And Cut The Vein, which was recorded at Southern Studios in London with renowned producer Harvey Birrel (THERAPY?) at the helm. RABIES CASTE reportedly boast a sound that is being described as 'one almighty violent aural assault' and cite NEUROSIS, COALESCE and GODFLESH as influences. A late August release is being planned.

The long-awaited and much-debated Mortiis book, Secrets of My Kingdom, will finally be released on July 2nd. Limited to just 850 copies worldwide, the 144-page book comes leather-bound and all copies will be personally signed by Mortiis. Also shrink-wrapped to the book will be a special gold-edition of The Stargate CD.

The first 20,000 retail-packaged STAINDBreak The Cycle CDs reportedly include the latest ILL NINO sampler, containing the tracks 'God Save Us' and 'If You Still Hate Me', which come off the latter group's Revolution...Revolucion debut, due out this summer through Roadrunner Records.

HELLOWEEN are planning to hit the studio around May 2002 to record the next studio album, which is unlikely to surface before the end of next year at the earliest. In the meantime, the group can still be seen in parts of Europe and Latin America, where they will be performing in support of their acclaimed The Dark Ride CD. The remaining dates are as follows:

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June 09 - Karlshamn, SWE @ Sweden Rock Festival

June 14 - Santiago, CHI @ Estaido Chile

June 15 - Buenos Aires, ARG @ Elteatro Monumental

June 16 - Sao Paolo, BRA @ Via Funchal

June 17 - Cantanduva, BRA @ Ginasio do Con. Catanduva June 20 - Porto Alergre, BRA @ Bar Opiniao

June 21 - Curitiba, BRA @ Studio 1250

June 22 - Rio De Janeiro, BRA @ Garden Hall

June 24 - Medillin, COL @ Coliseo Juan Pablo II

June 25 - Bogota, COL @ Palacio de los Deportes

June 27 - Quito, ECU @ Agora

June 29 - Mexico, MEX @ Salon 21

June 30 - Monterrey, MEX @ La Escena

July 01 - Chihuahua, MEX @ TBA

Aug. 03 - Wacken, GER @ Wacken Open Air Festival

Aug 11 - SPA @ Meoroc Festival

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On August 23rd 2001, WBWC 88.3 FM in Cleveland Ohio USA will present the HELLOWEEN Marathon. This program will be 18 hours long, from 7 AM EST until 1 AM EST., which is 1 PM CET until 7 AM CET. HELLOWEEN album tracks, rare B-sides, live stuff, and solo/side project material will be played, and various members of the band will be appearing on the show at different times during the day. You can listen to the marathon if you are in the Cleveland area, or you can access it over the internet at: http://www.bw.edu/~wbwc/listen.html

MISFITS' Jerry Only and THE RAMONES' Marky Ramone will be shooting an episode of Subway Q&ampA today, May 23rd. Here's more news direct from the Metro Channel: 'It's unrehearsed and underground. Dave Konig of the Emmy award-winning show, Subway Q&ampA, will conduct an on-subway interview with punk rock legends Marky Ramone and Jerry Only. Their final stop - the shuttle platform at Grand Central Station—where Dave Konig will host a musical performance by Marky and Jerry Wed. May 23rd at 1:30 PM. The episode will be aired several times. If any fiends are interested in coming down to participate in the show, be at the shuttle at Grand Central Station in NYC on Wednesday May 23rd at approx 1 PM.'

Germany's PRIMAL FEAR are rumored to be contributing to an upcoming IRON MAIDEN tribute album with an as-yet-unspecified track.

Former SKID ROW vocalist Sebastian Bach has won the Broadway.com Audience Award for 'Favorite Replacement' for his role in the Jekyll &amp Hyde musical.

VICIOUS RUMORS have confirmed the departure of vocalist Morgan Thorn (who sang on the band's latest CD, Sadistic Symphony) and the return of singer Brian O'Connor, who appeared on Cyberchrist. According to an official statement from the band, 'Brian and his five-octave range allow the classic VR sound to become a reality!! And the band is wasting no time putting this into action. VR has already begun writing for a new studio CD featuring Brian on vocals, due to be released in January 2002. While continuing to move forward creatively, at the core of this new CD will be everything that is 'signature VR'.'

REVEILLE has put the finishing touches on their new album, Bleed The Sky, which was produced by Howard Benson and is tentatively due for release in late August through the Elektra label. According to frontman and lyricist Drew Simollardes, 'there may be more of a rap feel on [the new album compared to the first one]. But we don't rap about the cliche stuff you sometimes hear with rap/rock bands. We're using our own language to get across our message, and at the end of the day, our message is always positive. Even though we make emotional music, we're always saying you can overcome.'

Former WHITE LION vocalist-turned-solo-artist Mike Tramp recently commented on the rumors of an impending WHITE LION reunion by stating the following: 'Many people are always if WHITE LION is ever going to get back together. And the answer is no! It will not happen. It has now been almost four years since I spoke to [guitarist] Vito [Bratta], and [bassist] James [LoMenzo] has disappeared, and [drummer] Greg [D'Angelo]…well, it's been so f.cking long since we spoke. Still I must add, that when I was back in Denmark recording the new album. The national radio broadcasted This Is Your Life Mike Tramp. And they had called Vito in New York and recorded him talking about me. When I heard his voice and listened as he told stories about me, I was deeply moved and missed him enormously. Yes, I miss you, Vito. It's been too f.cking long.'

The new RAMMSTEIN DVD release, Links 2 3 4, is going to be in stores on May 28th. Apart from the single version of 'Links 2 3 4', the DVD features previously unpublished pictures from the Mutter series, plus the 'Links 2 3 4' video, and the 'making of the video'-style behind-the-scenes footage.

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